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"Wait for me here."
Kenshi's Wind Release clone activated his wind armor and flew downward.
"Got it."
Pakura nodded and stood still, still protected by Kenshi's wind barrier.
Her expression was calm; she no longer worried about Kenshi's safety.
Even though below was the jinchūriki of the Three-Tails, the Fourth Mizukage.
"They're here!"
Beside Yagura, everyone instantly took formation, drawing kunai and other ninja tools, eyes fixed on Kenshi's Wind Release clone descending from the sky.
Though they knew they were no match for Kenshi's clone, they refused to wait for death.
They still had the courage to fight desperately.
Kenshi's Wind Release clone landed on the opposite bank of the newly opened river channel, looked at the Fourth Mizukage, and smiled softly, "Come on, let me see who gave you the courage to invade the Land of Wind."
Whoosh!
As soon as he finished speaking, Yagura responded. In his partial Tailed Beast form, he moved at lightning speed and appeared before Kenshi's clone in the blink of an eye, clawing at Kenshi's chest.
Clang!
Kenshi's clone flicked his fingers, and a sharp slash instantly cut through.
Yagura's outstretched right hand lost control and was severed at the shoulder.
"Ah…"
Thud!
Yagura cried out in pain, but before his voice could fully escape, Kenshi's clone sidestepped and kicked him in the chest, silencing the scream. Yagura's body bent like a bow and was sent flying like a cannonball.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh… Kirigakure ninja fired kunai and shuriken first.
Clang clang… Kenshi's clone had no time to deal with these small fry. With a thought, he unleashed a Wind Release slash.
"Ah!"
"Ah…"
Screams erupted instantly. Yagura, who had just stopped moving, saw all his comrades' hands severed at the shoulders. Rage surged in his heart like a storm.
"Unforgivable!!!"
Chakra flared wildly into the sky. Yagura, in partial Tailed Beast form, suddenly stood upright on two legs and rapidly formed hand seals.
"Water Release: Multiple Water Mirror Technique!"
In an instant, twenty-eight massive water mirrors formed around the island, enclosing it completely.
Boom!
Two Tailed Beast claws burst from underground, not to attack Kenshi's clone, but to split into countless small hands, grabbing the Kirigakure ninja with severed arms and carrying them out of the island's range.
Kenshi's clone watched calmly, not intervening.
This battle was a show, not a slaughter. Its purpose was to subdue Yagura and make him abandon his plans to trouble Sunagakure.
Kenshi's clone had no intention to kill Yagura.
The Three-Tails sealed within him was key to guiding Obito's descent into darkness.
This was likely the critical period for Obito's transformation. Killing Yagura recklessly now, causing the Three-Tails to die and be reborn elsewhere, might derail the plan.
So this fight was a show—a demonstration to make Kirigakure realize Kenshi's clone was unbeatable.
Buzz!
"Tailed Beast Ball!"
After his comrades left the island's range, Yagura immediately condensed a Tailed Beast Ball and fired it.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh… the twenty-eight massive water mirrors surrounding the island each fired a Tailed Beast Ball, totaling twenty-nine, all aimed at Kenshi's clone in the center.
"Impressive! Water Release jutsu can be used like this!"
Kenshi's clone marveled. He hadn't expected Yagura's Water Mirror Technique to be used this way. The tactical application was clever, instantly exploiting the weakness of the Wind Release Slash.
Facing twenty-nine Tailed Beast Balls coming from different directions, Kenshi's clone couldn't cut them all with Wind Release Slash as before, because even if cut, the Tailed Beast Balls would still remain around him.
So Kenshi's clone chose to—
Whoosh!
Under wind armor, Kenshi's clone moved like lightning, flying upward to escape the Tailed Beast Balls' attack range.
But then—
Yagura sneered, "Too late to run now."
Whoosh whoosh whoosh… from the twenty-eight water mirrors, reflections of Kenshi's clone shot out.
In an instant, twenty-eight identical clones, each wearing the same wind armor and moving as fast as Kenshi's clone, flew toward him, throwing punches.
Kenshi's clone had no time to react. Facing clones as fast as himself, two fists couldn't match four hands, and he was delayed within the Tailed Beast Balls' range.
Boom!
Boom!
Almost simultaneously, twenty-nine small Tailed Beast Balls exploded, their violent energy instantly annihilating the island.
From above, a massive glowing sphere appeared on the island, followed by a scorching shockwave sweeping outward.
Bang!
Waves rolled and receded.
Outside the island, Yagura's Tailed Beast clone emerged from the water, shielding his comrades with the Tailed Beast cloak, unaffected by the shockwave.
"Brother-in-law!!!"
High above, Pakura screamed, her previously calm heart now in panic.
She hadn't expected her brother-in-law, who had subdued Shukaku, to be ambushed by Yagura.
Soon,
the flames dissipated, and the island vanished, leaving only white steam from high-temperature evaporation, shrouding the original island area.
"Brother-in-law… hm?"
Pakura turned to rush downward but suddenly found the wind barrier still holding her firmly in place.
"That bastard!"
Pakura's pale face flushed red, a flicker of joy and a silent curse in her eyes.
The wind barrier meant her brother-in-law was alive, at least still controlling the wind binding her.
"Finally dead!"
"That bastard!"
Among the white steam, the severed-armed Kirigakure ninja treated their wounds while glaring toward the island's center, cursing painfully.
"After enduring so many Tailed Beast Balls from the Fourth Mizukage, no one could survive."
"That bastard killed so many of us. Blood debts paid in full."
Tailed Beast Balls were synonymous with destruction. Everyone believed Kenshi's clone couldn't survive so many close-range bombardments.
Only Yagura's partial Tailed Beast clone remained solemn, eyes fixed on the white steam's center.
Soon, the steam gradually dissipated, revealing a blurry figure in midair.
Yagura's clone's expression changed sharply as he turned and shouted, "Retreat!"
The Kirigakure ninja were shocked, suddenly realizing Kenshi's clone was alive. They immediately fled.
From the moment Kenshi's clone severed their arms without them understanding how, they knew this battle was beyond their participation.
Staying would only be a burden to the Fourth Mizukage.
Soon,
the white steam vanished, the island disappeared, leaving only a large whirlpool. Above it, Kenshi's figure fully appeared.
"Still alive!!!"
"That bastard!"
Yagura's pupils dilated, shock and fear flashing in his eyes—even he hadn't realized it.
Hovering midair, Kenshi's Wind Release clone was enveloped in a transparent spherical barrier.
"Impressive!"
Kenshi's clone looked down at Yagura and praised, "As the man who ended Kirigakure's internal strife, your Water Release talent is no less than the Third Mizukage's."
In the original story, Water Mirror Technique could reflect Naruto and Killer Bee's Nine-Tails chakra modes, so it wasn't surprising it could reflect Kenshi's clone's power.
But reflecting the Tailed Beast Balls he launched was unexpected.
This guy had good combat talent.
Under this attack plan, if Kenshi's clone hadn't hidden a barrier technique, this show would have failed.
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